Here are a few of the many verses giving evidence of the Trinity in the Bible: Genesis 1:1&2- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. The Holy Spirit was an active participant in the creative process. Although he is one man who is simultaneously a husband, a father, and a student, he would consider it Modalism to suggest that this is a good Trinitarian analogy. This may be my favorite verse of them all. Therefore, we would rightly say, within the Ontological Trinity, there is no variation or distinction made. Another wrong illustration is using ourselves: I am one person, but also a wife, mother, and writer. The egg white represents Gods Spirit. Can you think of some Bible verses to back up your explanation? Revelation 4:3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. That would not be had God be three persons. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. Thus the Father is in Jesus " I and My Father are One" (John 10:30), "The Father is in Me" (John 14:10) God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). Because God is utterly unique, all comparisons will fail at some point. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14). To put it simply, "The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy." . Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature. (Lateran Council IV), 4. Here many of the creeds help us in clearly articulating the trinity. Lost will be ashes under the feet of the righteous. Your email address will not be published. True, we humans are image bearers but nothing in creation serves as an analogy for the Trinity because the Trinity is a doctrine of special (biblical) revelation not nature or reason. We have the creeds for just that reason. And whos the Holy Spirit? H2O is a combination of two particles (atoms) of hydrogen and one particle of oxygen and this compound can exist as water (liquid), ice (solid) and vapour (gas). In order to accomplish this union with God and man, He allowed His Shell to be broken with the weight of our sins to cleanse our souls so His holiness can approach, for God cannot look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). I bet I havent sung or heard this song in years! show me your glory. Common, yes. As a doctrine (belief), the trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three separate and distinct persons united in one being- God. The Holy Spirit and Son do not send the Father. Truly, it is a Mystery. in that He is not made up of three parts one part () the Father, another part () Jesus Christ and a third part () the Holy Spirit. Studying the Trinity poses difficulty to us Catholics. In the same way, at one moment God is the Father, but at different times God morphs or transforms into the Son or Holy Spirit. But understanding the Trinity is important. Genisis 1:17, KJV. In the same way, water is all the same molecular structure, expressing itself in three different modes. The three distinct notes come together to make one beautiful sound. Each one is fully God. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. Some think of God as H 2 O, which is sometimes a solid (ice), sometimes a liquid (water), and sometimes a gas (steam). But they are one God. What portion is erroneous? The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). For instance at the baptism of Christ, the Father, Son and Spirit are all distinctly present and interacting (Matthew chapter 3 verses 16-17). The divine persons are really DISTINCT from one another, and not merely different roles of God at different times. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. For instance, we know that God is perfectly loving. Arianism is named after the heretic Arius. Does that make sense? I remember asking my Life Group last year, How have you heard the Trinity explained? I braced myself for the inevitable reply. It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. The word Trinity comes from the Latin word trinitas which means tri-unity. He differs from the Father, but was and still is God. Theyve transformed. I never thought about it in that way some of these examples Ive never heard of. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". It became real to me because I have experienced His love, grace, guidance, redemption, conviction of sin, and fellowship that comes from Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is kind of like a man who is a father, a son and an uncle God is kind of like a three-leaf clover, or a triangle; one object, but three different, identifiable leaves, or sides* Learn how your comment data is processed. God does not morph from one person to another, nor does God exist as three separate beings. Often these analogies explicitly teach heresy. Some who deny the Trinity claim 1+1+1=3, and therefore claim we worship three Gods. I believe that the best way to talk about the Trinity is to simply say that God is one God, who eternally exists in three Persons. How can God be Three in One? However, in some instances, the use of carefully chosen analogies may be of help for some of our brethren in learning the teachings of the Church. Few topics of discussion in the Christian faith are more confusing than the idea of the Trinity. He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. The analogy breaks down because the three cloves are overly distinct and cannot represent the unity of God. Just as water changes forms so too is the trinity. The apple seed alone is not an apple. Vestment Emblems. Or what? So, in God, there are three distinct persons. Lost will be burned up. The term Economic refers to the roles, functions, and relationships that exist within the Trinity. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. Shively, This book is now available in a published format for easy sharing and classroom use. For since light is always in existence, it is manifest that its brightness also exists, because light is perceived to exist from the fact that it shines, and it is impossible that light should not shine. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of modalism. Analogies of the Trinity. So God performs 3 different roles/relationships but 1 God. The Trinity is a tri-unity, a unity of Three, - God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Here are eight bible characters that you might not know about, but should. While it captures the idea that God is one, it doesnt do such a good job of showing how God is three and one at the same time. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. Stars were made on the froth day. This is a bad analogy because it fails at the truth that all three persons comprise the fullness of God. Now, as youve probably guessed, this analogy also breaks down. In the same way, there is a God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. You can also catch up with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok His motto was that "There was a time when the son did not exist". This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). To the other major monotheistic faiths (Islam and Judaism), it is rank heresyTrinitarianism is therefore definitional to Christianity. If then the sun were eternal, the day would never end; but now, for such is not really the state of the case, the day begins with the beginning of the sun, and ends with its ending. Another analogy that Tim remembers, being Irish Catholic, is the analogy of the shamrock with its three parts. Modalism, or Sabellianism, denies the three distinct Persons of the Trinity and claims that God is one Person who appears in different modes at different timesin the Old Testament He appeared as the Father, in the Gospels He appeared as the Son, and from Pentecost onwards He appears as the Holy Spirit. God is much bigger than what we can understand yet He is close enough to us so that we can know some things about Him, though not completely and not everything. This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Similarly, light and heat are simply creations of the sun, yet it is the heresy of Arianism to claim that the Son or Spirit are mere creations of the Father. Or have you ever tried to teach kids about the Trinity? 2:5-6; Col. 1:15-17, 2:9; Heb. This analogy denies the unity of the God-head. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John14:2, 3). In order to accomplish this union with God and man, He allowed His Shell to be broken with the weight of our sins to cleanse our souls so His holiness can approach, for God cannot look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). If the sun exists, there is also day; if nothing of this be manifest, it is impossible that the sun should be there. His ways are higher than ours, but isnt that a comfort?! Water can be ice and steam, yet they are the same element. Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. But having lots 6 Bible Study Tools To Help You Dive Deeper. My prayer is to infuse God's character into your everyday lives with short ( 4-5") devotions and Bible Studies every Monday morning. Pingback: 3 Reasons Why Jesus Humanity Really Matters Her & Hymn, Pingback: 3 Reasons Why Jesus' Humanity Really Matters, Pingback: How Jesus Teaches Us To Be Human Her & Hymn. The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). But Hes God too, right? The problem here is it describes each part of the Trinity as 1/3 parts of the overall egg. Father, Son, and Spirit are each fully God (their own egg)- not fractions of one. And we know that because Hes been experiencing perfect love within Himself forever. Love was not given to Jesus. Modalism teaches that one God just changes forms or modes over the course of scripture. When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. Its hard to explain! In humans, our spirits are designed to operate with and be united to the soul which is the person of anyone and so it is with our Egg. Because Gods Person is unapproachable, the Spirit White acts as insulation, for we know that it is through the Holy Spirit that God can communicate, speak through and interact with mankind. The military would like to have that power. In other words, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have a unique and unbreakable unity, and their existence together is the being that is God. CafeLogos.orgThe Egg and i -A Simple Explanation of The Trinity When we tend to make an analogy about the trinity we are forced to diminish one of the three trinitarian truths in order to make the analogy work. But if modalism is true, and the Trinity really is like water, then the story of Jesus (the Son) praying to the Father as recorded in the Bible seems like an awfully strange masquerade. In trying to describe what they saw in the pages of the Bible, the early church decided to use the word person to describe the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And we know that because the Persons of the Godhead have perfectly blessed and exalted each other for all eternity. Some have used examples such as water, watermelons and eggs; the principle behind those illustrations is that even though each thing is one, it is also three. Although the water changes forms it is still H2O. But we can (and should) have a solid foundation to explain this core belief of our faith. Some have taken on the task of explaining how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as one. The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything, 3 Reasons Why Jesus Humanity Really Matters Her & Hymn, 3 Reasons Why Jesus' Humanity Really Matters, How Jesus Teaches Us To Be Human Her & Hymn. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Spirit are three different persons who are all equally one God. Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. The Unseen Father is in Christs mind. God is Great, I always try to figure out how to explain it to my Sunday school kids and they get confused which i get, how would you explain it to them? When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. If God has existed for all eternity in a perfectly loving Triune relationship, then it shows He is completely self-sufficient and requires no further relationship in order to complete or satisfy Himself. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. Trinity Egg Analogy . I can only shake my head when He does these things! The very definition of the heresy known as Modalism/Oneness is that there is one person existing in three different modes or manifestations. I write to see memory and language wrestle with reality. Im giving God the credit for stirring this memory, and am extremely grateful. Devils cannot grab ahold of them to cast them into Satans prison. Intercession: The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. But in the Godhead, each Person is fully and completely God unto Himself (even as they are all one God). Therefore it behoves us to know what He has revealed (including the Trinity), and to lovingly worship Him accordingly. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the . ANALOGY OF CHARACTERS. The word God in this sense is defined as a single being, having all divine attributes. TO AVOID HERESIES, LET US LIVE BY WHAT HAS BEEN REVEALED TO US: 1. God is infinitely greater than we are; therefore, we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. In the first place, if we truly claim to love God, then surely we should endeavour to know Him. The sun comprises the sun itself, its light and its heat. Notice the distinction between persons and being. If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate beings, then its not really clear how someone can say that God is one or that only one God exists. But theres one problem: the water analogy is not the biblical picture of God. When it comes to the Trinity, we tend to forget that an analogy is an "aptness of proportion" or a "resemblance of relations," not an identity of relations. In other words, God may manifest Himself as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. Three Gods or one? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And for a mere mortal to have dared invent it and be able t. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. Father, Son, Holy Sprit : 3 persons, 1 great relationship, Copyright 2023 Fervr | Terms of Service. I dont know how our majestic God feels about being compared to watermelons and eggs, but He is also a loving Father, and like any father, I believe God would seek to provide simple explanations so His little children can understand. One day, however, the image will be clear. Further, we can label each of the sides. Each one is fully 100% God. Part 2. It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. The egg white represents Gods Spirit. This view, also known as "modalism", was rejected by the early church. Thought of Tim Its amazing to think that everything will be so clear when we het to Heaven! Being the brightness of the eternal Light, He Himself also is absolutely eternal. The Unseen Father keeps the Father that is seen, alive. An egg is made up of shell, white and yolk. Well, the egg analogy, when applied to God, suggests that only one being exists but this being exists in three different parts. How can we ever explain our Most High, exalted, powerful, uncontainable, and most glorious God? Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,, , Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. The Spirit white is connected to Jesus Person I will come to you (John 14:18) and the Fathers Person, We will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14:23). . When we separate them we can fall into the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual deities as one. Yeah its definitely a hard thing to understand, let alone explain to little ones ! Hi Im not a theologian and I dont disagree with what you say but when you state that we know the persons of the Trinity have perfectly loved for eternity etc how do we know? When we use analogies, we need to indicate these things so as to not lead to heresies, A Catholic and Filipino writer interested in theology, philosophy, liturgy, politics, and law. My intention is merely to address some common erroneous analogies, including water. And the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. The Egg- One egg has three parts: shell, whites, and yolk . The problem with this analogy is that it also leads to the heresy of MODALISM. Misunderstanding 1: The transforming trinity He got married there in 1965, and his four . History, lifestyle, family, music, theology, scripture, literature, the saints, church history, parenting, politics, prayer, the pope, and more. Its all one person, simply functioning in three different roles. 7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christs gift., , according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure., , But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life..